Stringed instruments such as guitars, banjos, and autoharps have long been used as a source of entertainment. These stringed instruments are most often played by strumming the strings with a small, substantially pointed flat device referred to as a pick. The grasping or holding of a pick is sometimes difficult because of its relatively small size. The holding of these small picks is especially difficult for persons who lack the small-motor coordination skill that is required to grasp, and manipulate or orient a pick for use with the stringed instruments. These persons also encounter difficulties in establishing the consistent rhythmic, strumming motions that are necessary to produce a pleasant musical sound.
The applicant's device utilizes a pick that projects from a hollow enclosed container that is ergonomically designed to allow it to be easily and comfortably held in one's hand. Thus, the problems associated with the holding of a small pick are eliminated or at least minimized. In the the above discussion, a pick is used to produce a sound that emanates from the strumming of the strings. In the applicant's combination strumming pick and percussion device, a strumming sound as well as a percussive sound, can be produced. The percussive sound is produced by a multiplicity of particles, consisting of beads and/or pellets that are inserted into the container. When the container is oscillated, the particles impinge on the internal wall of the container to produce the percussive sound. Thus, a musician is able to selectively produce a strumming sound and/or a percussive sound. By practicing, a musician can learn to manipulate the pick to produce wide tonal variations and various combinations of strumming and percussive sounds.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read on the claims of the instant invention which cover a device that selectively produces both a strumming and a percussive sound. However, the following U.S. patents are considered related and indicative of the state-of-the-art:
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. INVENTOR ISSUED ______________________________________ 4,320,689 Pogoda 23 March 1982 4,306,485 Rudkin 23 December 1981 4,179,973 White 25 December 1979 ______________________________________
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,689 Pogoda patent discloses a combined pick and stringed instrument tuning device. The device includes a relatively flat, rectangularly shaped housing having a pick attached thereto and is small enough to be held in one's hand. A momentary 0N push-button switch, which is mounted on top of the housing, controls an electronic tuning circuit by selecting one of several predetermined frequencies from a frequency generator. The tuning circuit is mounted in the housing so that the tuning device is totally self-contained. Alternatively, the tuning circuit is remotely located and is controlled by a cable connected to the housing or by radio signals.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,485 Rudkin patent discloses a hand-held percussion instrument. The instrument consists of a hollow, elongate cylindrical member having a plurality of sound producing beads disposed therein. The beads are in free-flowing disposition so that oscillation or other movement of the member causes the beads to impinge upon the internal walls of the cylindrical member, thereby producing the sound. A pair of symmetrically positioned convex walls are positioned mid-length in the interior of the instrument to define a convex-shaped volume therebetween. A plurality of circumferentially spaced ports open the volume defined by the walls to the atmosphere so that the sounds generated by the impinging of the beads against the convex walls flows to the listener through the ports.
The U.S. Pat. No.4,179,973 White patent discloses a musical instrument consisting of a generally tubular hollow casing having a reduced geometry at one end. The casing is filled with popcorn kernels or other sound generating kernels, pellets or the like When the casing is shook by a user, the casing generates musical or other tones.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention relates, reference may be made to the following remaining patents found in the search:
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. INVENTOR ISSUED ______________________________________ 5,261,307 Domanski 16 November 1993 4,794,839 Adler 3 January 1989 ______________________________________